1 June 2018:
A ceremony for World No-Tobacco Day 2018 was held at the office of the Ministry of Health and Sports in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.
Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr. Myint Htwe delivered an opening speech at the ceremony, at which he noted the importance of the day’s message.
“World No-Tobacco Day is celebrated every year on May 31, and the day has been held since 1989 around the world. As the motto goes, ‘Tobacco Breaks Hearts: Choose health, not tobacco’, the ceremony is being observed to draw attention to the people of the harms of tobacco and its related diseases. Tobacco use causes at least 16 different cancers of the body, including lung cancer, cancers of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, liver, cervix, stomach, colon and rectum,” he said.
“Although Myanmar has tried her best to reduce tobacco use for many years, it is found that the number of smokers and smoke-related diseases are on the increase, and we are reviewing the situation.”
It is learnt that exposure to second-hand smoke can cause many of the same diseases as active smoking. For non-smokers, it is important to be aware of the dangers of cancer. According to the research, it is learnt that the non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 30 per cent. In pregnant women, it causes premature births, low birth weight, childhood learning deficiencies, and sudden infant deaths.
Dr. Myint Htwe noted that the producers and sellers of tobacco are also part of the problem.
“They should know that they are selling health hazards to the public. Smoking can affect the standard of public health and health sector, thus it can be regarded as a main enemy of the public”, he said. A representative of the Worth Health Organization (WHO) read out the message of the Director of WHO South-East Asia Region and presented a video about the commemoration of World No-Tobacco Day, and then presented prizes to those who have made the greatest progress toward a tobacco-free campus among the universities.
Afterwards, Dr. Myint Htwe and guests toured the booths displayed for World No-Tobacco Day.
Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar
